Takeaway: As the saying goes, life happens. We may not be able to control some aspects of our lives, but we can change our responses to them. Employing effective mental strategies can reduce stress and protect our brain.
Have you noticed yourself becoming forgetful when stressed?
Over a long time, stress can actually change the way our brain works and can affect our memory.
Our brain is a fascinating organ. It’s a highly focused machine with different sections functioning for various tasks.
Research Shows Persistent Stress Can Have a Long-Term Effect On the Brain
In humans, the activities in the primitives part of brain focus on our survival and tend to dominate during periods of stress. The part of the brain responsible for emotions and our survival is known as the amygdala. Whereas, we process the higher-order tasks with our prefrontal cortex.
Scientists have learned that animals that experience prolonged stress have less activity in the parts of their brain that handle higher-order tasks.
Researchers believe when one part of the brain is engaged, the other parts of the brain may not have as much energy to handle their own vital tasks. In other words, when stressed, the brain doesn’t as efficiently process higher-order tasks.
Prolonged stressful experience can harm our brain and our memory.
Stress Can Rewire Our Brain
According to Dr. Ressler, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, chronic and persistent stress may actually rewire our brain.”
And according to Jill Goldstein, a professor of psychiatry and medicine at Harvard Medical School, stress also affects memory and heart.
Stress affects not only memory and many other brain functions, like mood and anxiety, but also promotes inflammation, which adversely affects heart health.
Stress has been associated with multiple chronic diseases of the brain and heart, and it can affect men and women differently.
Prolonged Stress Is More Damaging
Research shows if a person can anticipate stress, it is less harmful than the stress that appears to be more random.
Also, stress is more damaging if there is no time limit or definite end-time.
For example, if you’re stressed about an upcoming presentation and you know it will be over once you’ve presented, then it is less damaging.
However, if you’re facing a situation without a definite end-time, such as a chronic illness, then the stress can be more damaging.
Stress is an integral part of our modern society living. It would be impractical to think that we can eliminate stress from our lives altogether.
However, we can use strategies to lower the stress in our lives by integrating more routine in our daily lives that will provide more harmony.
How Can We Combat Stress?
Make Sure You Get Enough Sleep
Having had enough sleep will help you be more alert and conscious to deal with stress. The number one strategy is to identify the problem and strategically think about how to resolve it.
Restful sleep will give the response to get this job done.
Establish a Routine In Your Life
You can combat stress by establishing a routine and predictable schedule. “Having a routine is good for development and health,” says Dr. Kerry Ressler,
Live Mindfully
We may not be able to control the stresses in our lives, but we can change our responses to them.
Breathing exercises will help you control your emotions when facing a stressful situation. Your mind automatically goes into a panic when perceived with a stressful situation. Mindful breathing and thinking will help you respond more consciously to the stressful situation at hand.
Seek Help and Professional Advice When Needed
Mental strategies often can help reduce and even eliminate long-term damage. If you feel unable to cope with stress, getting professional guidance can help you deal with stress and also possibly reduce similar pressures in the future.
A good way to find effective strategies is to work with a mental health counselor.
If You Identify Long-Term Stress, Take Steps To Resolve Them
For example, if you have financial problems that can linger in your life for a long time, getting a solution to solve the financial problem can remove long-term stress. Thus, improving your life well-being and prevent long-term worries. So, reaching out for help for your financial issues can not only give you peace of mind but it can literally save your life.
Remove Stressful Things From Your Life
Simplifying your life and removing unnecessary stresses can be a liberating feeling which can also reduce your stress.
Take a moment to think of changes YOU can make in your life to reduce stress. They don’t have to be big changes. Even small changes can have a positive impact. Why bother? Because reducing stress has a direct impact on improving the quality of your health.